


Guiding light for the wandering soul

by golden_kaori



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: (although they're not in karasuno nor they are second years), Alternate Universe - Soulmates, M/M, Noya is in Italy but canon technically doesn't happen, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Warning for implied straight Tanaka, and there was only one bed, karasuno 2nd years shenanigans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-15
Updated: 2020-06-15
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:22:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24733846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/golden_kaori/pseuds/golden_kaori
Summary: Noya is traveling looking for his freedom, thanks to the words written in his skin.In a foreign country he gets lost, but finds who he's been looking for.(Where Noya is a cheap ass, but it's ok because his soulmate said so)
Relationships: Kinoshita Hisashi/Nishinoya Yuu
Comments: 15
Kudos: 57





	Guiding light for the wandering soul

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CaptainJosten](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainJosten/gifts).



> After a year and a half of endless kinoya conversations and sleepless nights I can't believe this will be my first posted work of them!
> 
> I sometimes forget they're not even a rare-pair, there rarer than rare. Raw, if you will (according to crossword clues).
> 
> Here's for the first one of many! Hass, as always many thanks for dragging me to this. You know every kinoya thought I muster, every kinoya breath I draw, they're all for you~
> 
> [ANNIE!! ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AwkwardPotatoChild/)[NANA!! ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/arashinana/pseuds/arashinana/)Thank you so much guys for looking over it and being the sweetest and most supportive betas and buddies <3

Italy had been a beautiful country so far, south to north, from Rome to Naples, Florence to Bologna to Venice, and now his current stop was in Milan. The architecture was breathtakingly beautiful, but the nightlife had left much to be desired, especially compared to the other places he had just visited. He had come to learn that a lot of places closed up early, sometimes by 6 or 7 pm, which meant there wasn't a soul to be seen outside, which only meant Noya had to loiter around while waiting for his 9 pm train. He walked next to the canals and enjoyed the breeze. Although it was closer to summer than winter the air was still chilly, especially being so far up north. He made his way to the train station with half an hour to spare. His last stop in the country would be Turin before he moved on to France.

He arrived at the station and looked up to the timetables. There were a lot of incoming and departing trains, it wouldn't be easy to find his train at first glance. He thought he was just getting tired and that if he waited for a little, his train would move up in the queue and would be easier to spot. Ten minutes passed and he couldn't find his train. Well, that was weird, but nothing to get worked up about. He re-read the trains and again, found none that were heading to Turin. Weird.

He went to a bench and sat down, placing his bulky and trusty backpack on the floor to look for his ticket. It was less convenient having to fish for his papers and passport than if he just kept it on himself, but after a near incident on his way back from Pompeii he had learned it was necessary.

He took out the ticket and skimmed through it until he found the destination. What if Turin was only a stop and the train was meant to go further? That's usually how trains work, even in Japan, so Noya would've remembered a detail like that. He checked carefully just in case.

Hmm, even weirder, it did mark Turin as the destination. He looked at the timetable and back at his ticket. He looked at the departure time, 9:42, and at the old clock that had its minute hand set a little further than the half-hour mark. He had time, but not a lot so he really had to get going.

He paced around confused but figured that it wouldn't solve anything so he approached a man in uniform. His English wasn't perfect and he had come to learn that the Italians: wasn't either, but he could fend for himself or at least get his ideas across, he tried.

"Excuse me, signore," He approached the man. "Torino." He said and pointed to his ticket. The man arched an eyebrow and Noya wondered if he had somehow managed to butcher that sentence. Maybe he overdid it with the ‘signore’?

"Niente più treni per Torino fino a domani," he said, shaking his head as if what he said didn't go over Noya's head. "No more trains. Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Noya felt his eyes leave their sockets as he nearly choked on the word. "But I bought the ticket for today!" He almost shoved the thing to the man's face. "Per oggi!"

The man took the ticket and inspected it closely. Then, as if Noya had been a nagging child who couldn't understand when he was told he couldn't have more than one cookie, he pointed at the appointed time. "Diciannove ore. Nineteen hours."

"What?" Noya nearly shouted and the man's frown deepened. "Well- well, oh." Noya took the ticket back and all the fire left him. "Cazzo." The man huffed and walked back to his post, leaving the poor dejected Noya to his own devices.

It took a few moments to regain himself, but after several deep breaths he shook off his shoulders and thought about his next move. Thankfully, it currently wasn’t vacation season, so he could crash at mostly any hostel and they would have an available bunk bed for the night. But he only did that on emergencies, when he hadn't seen everything he wanted to in a day (since he much rather travel at night and sleep there) or when a shower was more of a necessity than a luxury (and even more than that, a courtesy to the people stuck around him). For the moment though, he could still bypass it for a few days and he would much rather save up every last cent he could. He grabbed his left forearm and thought about the words written on his skin. Yeah! He couldn't be called a cheap-ass if he only did what his soulmate thought was also the best thing, right?

He knew better than to try and buy another ticket now. He had seen the ticket booths were closed, normal at this hour since it was close to 10 pm, or rather, twenty-two fucking hours.

Noya wandered around in the train station. If the timetables were anything to go by, then he could be certain that he wouldn't be kicked out any time soon, since trains seemed to continue departing, even in the nothing hours of the night. He made his way to the most reliable place he could find open, a McDonald’s. He hadn't been used to eating fast food back home, being somewhat of a high-performance athlete, but now in his travels, he had learned to appreciate the greasy smell and soggy fries of the ever-open restaurants, a consistent lighthouse when everything else was a novelty.

He came in and found a booth to relax in before going to order something. He had also come to learn that the employees were kinda lax in just letting him chill without having to order as long as he wasn't doing anything that would take advantage of their kindness.

Yes, every McDonald’s was the same, here in foreign lands and back at home, especially when it was past dusk and night made every city look the same. It made him feel nostalgic. In moments like this, Noya would reminisce because no matter how things went, he would never regret embarking on this adventure.

You wouldn't call him a hopeless romantic, not any more than any of the other people who were looking for their soulmates, and it wasn't even that he had traveled across the world just to meet his so-called 'fated one'. Noya had always been interested in having new experiences, overcoming his fears, and being free. And what was more new, fearsome, and freeing than buying a one-way ticket to another continent with no plans and no reason. Just a bunch of savings and a promise tattooed on his skin, long before he even knew the meaning of them.

Now that he could sit down and relax, he took off his sweatshirt and looked at his arm, tracing the words he had committed to memory ever since they appeared when he was 13. They usually appear with puberty, marking the first words that will be said by the personed destined as your one true pair. Nowadays, it was a common belief that love could take many forms, soulmates or not. With more open minds and fewer restrictions, people weren't as desperate to find their soulmate. Especially with so many people having ' _hello'_ or ' _thank you'_ or any other common phrase.

However, Noya was fortunate. His phrase was too unique to be mistaken for anything else (he wanted to believe). It was only a shame that the words were in English, and Noya was awful at anything that was written down in a book, so if his soulmate was a foreigner, he would have to work around it somehow.

 _'Tell him €90 is unreasonable for what isn't even one night'_ were the words on his skin, and from what he learned on his trip, he totally agreed, even though he wasn't sure what the words referred to. When he learned the meaning, he was confused. When he got older and bolder, he had snickered with his friends about other possible implications of the phrase, but regardless of the context, Noya was sure his soulmate was someone interesting, or at least amusing. He could almost hear the tone, baffled and stubborn perhaps. If he closed his eyes and concentrated, he could even imagine an undignified huff following it. It never failed to make him smile.

He charged his phone and checked online to see where the first train was headed to. Maybe he would hop on it. Turin had been an option, but Noya had never stuck to any concrete plans. He went where the wind took him, from place to place, until he found his soulmate or his savings ran out, whichever happened first.

After he had checked the timetables and had spent a decent amount of time rotting his brain scrolling through Twitter, he got up to order something for dinner and maybe an extra something for a midnight snack. He got his food and the employee gave him a look that meant he better gather his belongings and leave before he was kicked out. Ah, the only downside to these kinds of locals was that they closed at 11 pm, so he couldn't spend the night inside.

He found a bench in front of the main timetable and sat down on his backpack. It still was rather early and there were people around, but he didn't want to get caught up in any other possible incidents. Noya took out a map and some pamphlets and wondered where to go next. The first train to Turin was scheduled after midday and Noya would rather depart as soon as possible. Milan had been beautiful, yes, but he didn't want to spend a second more than absolutely necessary if he could be on his way to somewhere else.

An hour passed and he decided that maybe going to a northern province would be a good idea. He wanted to see the Alps and this could be a good option. He could also take a cross border train and arrive in France. There were a number of options, but he couldn't decide on any one just yet. Maybe in the morning, he would have a clearer decision.

Another hour passed and he had resorted to watching the few people who were walking around, and more importantly, the ones that had taken other benches or the floor, trying to catch a quick nap before the guards inevitably came around to tell them off for sleeping, including the man from before. Noya was tired, he couldn't deceive himself, but he would be able to keep his eyes open for the night, both cautious of anyone getting too close to his belongings and of the scary and too loud uniformed men. Not even half an hour passed, and he had to pick up a book to try and focus on something other than the uncomfortable way his back rested on the bench and the dropping temperature that was starting to send a chill right to his bones.

At some point around 2 am, he had dozed off and was promptly woken up by a guard, even louder than they had looked while shouting at others. Noya grimaced and dropped his long-forgotten book from the scare, but soon enough he had excused himself with equal volume and displeasure as the guard.

He lasted 15 minutes but soon became antsy. He wanted to pace around, both to keep the cold at bay and to wake up, but looking around, he found out there were no more benches and quite a number of people sitting on the floor, so if he left it and someone took the opportunity, Noya would be the next to find his ass freezing on the dirty old marble. He started shaking his legs, but soon enough the cold crept through his boots, and he had to sit crossed legged to try and keep some warmth.

Not even 10 minutes later, he started dozing off again, and despite how prideful he was, he knew a losing battle when he saw it.

He took out his phone and used the station's slow connection to find anywhere nearby he could stay. There were some places that were within walking distance and before thinking twice, he set out.

Just as his arm's mark wisely advised, he ventured to what few hostels and accommodations he could find at first, and to his poor luck, none of them panned out. Closed, full for the night, unavailable, reservation needed! No luck either, when he walked to a half-decent hotel.

Despite his usual high spirits, even Noya could feel low in moments like this. He was tired, lost, and cold. He thought about wandering through the night, but he wasn't sure that was any good idea either. He could be adventurous, yes, but spending a night on the streets was a bigger bite than he could chew.

He almost missed the next hotel, the dimly lit neon sign on the door the only sign that this otherwise unassuming building was a place where he could rest for the night. He opened the door and the chime of a bell announced his presence. Noya had expected the half-asleep person at the desk to notice him and give him a disheartened welcome, but he was surprised to see that the receptionist had other matters to attend to first.

There was a man about Noya's age and, not surprisingly, taller by a head, arguing with the clerk in what objectively seemed like a heated argument, especially considering that it was past 3 freaking am.

Noya got closer because what else could he do really, and noticed the tense air from both parties.

"Rooms without a reservation are charged extra. Late guests are charged extra. Rooms during the busy season are charged extra!"

"It's the middle of May! What do you mean you’re busy?"

The clerk turned to Noya and gave him a smile that was too bright, considering the hour and the awkwardness the argument was causing. "Mi scusi per un momento signore." He then turned back again and continued with distaste.

"€90 for a double room, no other offers," the clerk said resolutely. The man in front of him groaned further.

"I don't even need a double room!" He sounded more defeated than angry. He turned to Noya, a silent plea in his eyes. "Tell him €90 is unreasonable for what isn't even one night."

Noya felt the air leave his lungs like he'd been punched. Were he slightly more tired, he might've not even noticed the exact words being said. "Wait, what?" was all he could muster. The guy only arched an eyebrow, displeased that Noya hadn't been of any help and turned back to the receptionist.

"We have no other rooms left, take it or leave. So please, don't disrupt my customers." The clerk turned back to Noya and put on his plastic customer service smile. "Benvenuto. Cosa posso fare per lei signore? Are you a tourist? English is better?"

It wasn't often that Noya was speechless, even less when he purposefully ignored someone. Today though, it seemed was an unusual day in more ways than one. He turned back to the man and without noticing, switched back to Japanese. "Do you want to share?"

It was the other guy's turn to stare at him. For a second, he had looked defeated after the receptionist dismissed him, but now he had been whiplashed into confusion. "Share? What?"

"The room!" Noya said, far too quickly for his brain to catch up with what was coming out of his mouth. "It's a double room, right?" His confident smile came back after hours of absence as he continued. "€45 sounds better, right? I'm not one to throw away money either, a lesson I've come to learn since I was young."

The man stared, distrusting of Noya's sudden proposition, but after some tense moments, he deflated. He was tired, and a night on the streets sounded much less appealing than spending one with a stranger. A necessary evil. "Whatever, yeah, I just need to lose consciousness for some hours and it doesn't really matter how, as long as it is soon."

Noya felt all weariness leave his body, more akin to an adrenaline rush than actual rest, but he'd ride on this high before he crashed and burned. His unexpected roommate didn't seem to share the sentiment, so he only took out the money to give to Noya and let him take care of the rest.

The receptionist was surprised, but he wasn't in a position to make any comments, so he just complied and booked the room, wishing them a good night as if no disagreement had happened before.

Noya let himself be the guide and they reached the room in silence.

"For some reason, I hoped double room meant two beds," said the other guy, not with a disgusted tone, just stating a fact. “Twin rooms, double rooms, why can’t they make up their mind? I swear every hotel I set foot in has a different standard.”

"There's a couch, don't worry. It's leagues better than where I expected to spend the night, so don't fret and take the bed. You look worse for wear." Noya tried to sound encouraging but it only got the guy to frown. Still, he only nodded and excused himself to the bathroom to get changed.

As soon as he was alone yet again, Noya felt his whole body turn to jelly as he collapsed into the couch. His limbs felt heavy and his heart was pounding, and the realization finally sank in.

That was it. The moment, the moment he had been waiting for, the reason he had come to this continent, traveling wherever Euros were the currency in hopes of finding the person who had served as inspiration and incentive for Noya to chase his dreams.

Noya had never really thought about what he would do once he found the person who would utter the words he'd lived with for half of his life. He was someone who lived in the moment, leaving the future for his future self, so he only had a vague idea of what he wanted to do. He wanted to thank him, of course! For the courage and the experiences he'd had so far, and maybe he could share some of those. He never expected to necessarily be romantically involved with whoever was his soulmate, maybe they could be a friend or even just acquaintances. Noya had had flings, yes, but nothing more.

But the man just now? Oh boy.

Noya wasn't going to say that he was swept off his feet, but he also wasn't going to say he was completely unaffected. Tired and bad mouthed, perhaps slightly entitled, but that was understandable if he had had half as long a day as Noya had himself. And even then, he was gorgeous. Noya was enthralled, he wasn't as blinded as to say it was love, or to downgrade and just say it was duty. There was some genuine interest and attraction from his part, but Noya didn't know where to begin, or even if he should begin. At least for now, it was too late, and this was no time for such revelations and much less for so much overthinking.

The man came out, looking more put together and relaxed. He looked more meek, as if his rough edges had been placated, and now was the perfect picture of an unassuming guy. "Sorry for before. It was," he struggled to find his next words and sighed, "rude. It's been a long day."

Noya didn't feel like he was owed any apology, but accepted it more for his companion's sake than for his own and gave him what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "No problem. I get you. It's been a long day and a longer night." He fell back on the couch and heard the springs of the bed squeak under the other man's weight.

"You mentioned this before, but if it’s okay to ask...where were you originally planning on spending the night?" He still sounded guarded, as if ready for when Noya told him to mind his own business, but Noya only snorted.

"If only I told you! I should be on a train, but I can't even read numbers properly and now I'm stranded." He let out a loud sigh to let out his frustration without a care of the possible guests in the next room. "Where was I planning to spend the night? Your guess is as good as mine, but the cold floor of the train station would be the closest call."

The other man made a sound in agreement and gave his own reasons. "I could say the same. I'm an exchange student and this was supposed to be a field trip with some friends. Long story short, I got separated from them, missed the bus, and couldn't find my way back to the hotel. A dead battery and an inability to read an actual map left me walking for a couple of hours until I made my way back here."

It was Noya's turn to be confused. "So you did have a reservation?"

"I did!" he replied, annoyed. "Well, we did, but we thought we could save up and pick one double room for the four of us. Two beds, four people, sounded fine." Noya forced his neck, so he could look up and found on the other's face the most adorable pout he'd ever seen. "Now I get why the front desk guy was being a jerk. Even if the bed is large four people seems overkill. Three? One could stay in the couch. But if my friends told him they were waiting for a fourth.” Kinoshita sighed deeply. “Maybe if I called them and asked for backup. But no, I only vaguely remembered the name of the hotel, and even now I’m not even sure if it’s actually here. I have no room number, no clue to who's name the reservation was under and not even a phone to call them to ask." He pursed his lips and continued in a lower voice. "Which reminds me..."

Noya saw him move to where he had left his phone charging. "I'm not even going to try to send them a message, and it's not like I can call them either without an international plan, but..." He stood up and moved to the small table that kept one small tv, two bottles of water, and a single black phone. "Very well, found their room number. Now I just hope this is the hotel or things are going to turn awkward very soon."

He called the number of what Noya assumed was his friends' room and waited.

"Tanaka? Yes." A loud sound came from the phone, and the guy rolled his eyes. "Oh shut up, I'm only letting you know that I'm still around and kicking if that was any of your concern. Good to know my survival isn't even worth losing sleep for." He tapped his foot while he listened to whatever his friend was telling him over the line. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. I'm in room 304, I just spent €45 to stay here until 9 am and expect me to get all my money's worth, so don't bother trying to find me any sooner than that." After a few more seconds of conversation, he bid his friend a dry goodnight and ended the call. He approached the bed once more and fell face first in the most undignified matter. "I wasn't joking," he said, but it came out muffled by the bedsheets. He promptly adjusted himself, so he could face Noya. "I do plan to stay here until the very last second, so don't feel like you need to wait for me before leaving."

Noya hadn't noticed he'd lost himself being entertained by the others' happenings, so he felt slightly out of place being addressed. Still, he tried his best. "Don't worry, it's not like I planned on doing anything. I thought I would catch the first train and go wherever I haven't already been, but now that you mentioned it, I, too, am very tired, and €45 isn't exactly cheap. So waiting until I'm kicked out doesn't sound too bad, if you don't mind the company." And before he let the silence set in, he added, "By the way, I haven't introduced myself yet. Nishinoya Yuu."

"Kinoshita Hisashi. I'm surprised you could tell I also was Japanese at first glance. Oftentimes, people look at my lighter hair and second guess themselves."

"Honestly? I had no clue. Your English is pretty good,” Noya explained. "I was tired, I didn't even think of what I was saying, much less in which language I was saying it." He huffed in amusement. "Still, it all ended well," he offered in the end.

"Yeah, it did go well," Kinoshita agreed and a peaceful silence fell between them. "Well, Nishinoya, it’s been a pleasure and all, but if you don't mind, I'll just go to sleep. You can turn the lights off whenever you want."

"Hm?" Noya hadn't realized he dozed off again. "No thanks, I refuse to move. Goodnight."

Kinoshita gave him a weak chuckle before he repositioned himself and turned off the lights. "Yeah, goodnight."

Noya woke up to bright light. An open curtain is easily overlooked at past 3 in the morning, but it wasn't easily ignored when it lets the force of the sun hit you right in the eye. Noya groaned but lifted himself up regardless to properly wake up. He went to close the curtain and stop the invasive light. He was an early riser and relatively light sleeper, so the chances of him going back to sleep were thin. Still, he wanted to save Kinoshita the burden of waking up in such a startling way.

Noya had been too tired and careless, so he hadn't plugged his phone. He checked and saw that his McDonald's charge had left him with a little more than half of his battery, so that was nice, but why shouldn't he make the most out of the situation and charge his phone now? Speaking of nice things, he did say that a shower could wait, but what was the point when he was here now? So he went and raided the entirety of the courtesy bottles of cheap hair products the hotel offered, thinking of saving some for his companion, but after remembering how soft his hair had looked, he figured he had something better than the all in 1 liquid soap.

He came out freshly dressed and clean, Kinoshita still lightly snoring in the bed. Noya tried not to stare, but he couldn't help but think about how endearing the scene was. Some hidden and loud part within him wanted to lay down on the unoccupied side of the bed and run his fingers through the soft hair, but he stopped himself on the grounds that he had no right or reason to do so. Noya checked the hour on his phone and noticed it was a little after seven, plenty of time before they had to check out, so he had time for loitering around. He decided it would be wise to sort the contents of his backpack.

Clean clothes, dirty clothes, and a gradient of clothes that leaned more to one category or the other. Maps, tickets, receipts, snack wrappers, and other stuff that only occupied space that would be better used in some other way. Noya was a melancholic sap, and he loved saving keepsakes, so he could later use them to recall his adventures. But he also was self-aware enough to know that he was here, with no permanent residence, and would just have to carry all the junk until he went back, whenever that was. So he compromised and took photos of everything. Cloud storage was really an invention of the future and he couldn't be happier for it.

Halfway through his sorting and musings, there was a rustle in the bed and Kinoshita let out a pained sigh. Noya was slightly put off before noticing it was just the very peculiar start of a yawn and continued minding his business. The next sound was a rather loud stomach demanding for any substance and Kinoshita talked with a low and groggy voice. "I don't imagine the ridiculous price included breakfast." Noya smiled sympathetically in lieu of an answer. Indeed, it had not. He had just gone over last night's ticket and found the disappointing, yet unsurprising fact. So he grabbed the half smushed, but still edible apple pie he'd bought and left it on the table by the bed for Kinoshita to fill himself with until he had some proper breakfast.

"Unfortunate, but you can have this. I already had something," Noya lied, but he wasn't feeling particularly hungry.

"Thanks," Kinoshita said, although he made no effort to move. "Is it nine already?"

Noya checked his phone quickly to give an accurate answer. "Not just yet. You still have about an hour before we need to be worried about being kicked out of here. Want me to wake you up later?"

Kinoshita fell silent and Noya suspected he had fallen asleep again. "I can get ready in ten minutes. Can you wake me up a quarter before nine?"

Noya grabbed his phone and set the alarm, lest he also forgets the hour. Done. Now sleeping beauty can return to his slumber. Kinoshita gave one last huff before his breathing evened out once more.

It was weird how easy it was to be around someone else. Noya wasn't a lone wolf by any means, but he was used to having his own rhythm and was more independent than what could be called healthy, so the line between self-reliant and dismissive could get blurred pretty fast. But it was easy to have Kinoshita there, to be aware that he wasn't alone and unconsciously be attuned to any changes as if they were his own. “Isn't that the point of a soulmate?” said the little voice in his brain that he had managed to ignore all morning. But as the thought formed, a painful throb invaded his chest. “What now?” was the question. He would tell Kinoshita, definitely. He had a right to know after all. Still, after so long of striving to be brave, Noya had almost forgotten how it felt to be scared. The cold on his nape, the pressure in his gut, sensations he hadn't felt in years, but were still too familiar for his liking.

Noya and Kinoshita arrived at the front desk at sharp 9 am. They were ready to be met with scorn, but there was already a different person working, which spoiled some of the petty-born joy of the situation. There weren't a lot of people around. The more noticeable though were a group of three youths sitting in the tight and too modern to be comfortable couches. Kinoshita made a beeline to them, while Noya went to the desk to check out, and he could almost make out the conversation from the one guy's loud wails. Ah, that must be Tanaka.

Once he was done, Noya turned to look at Kinoshita and his friends. Tanaka definitely stood out amongst the other three mostly silent guys, but he looked so apologetic that Noya wanted to pat him in the back. As if summoned, Tanaka stared at him with deep intense eyes that seemed to bore through Noya, but his face was amicable enough that it didn't come off as rude. It was especially funny when his eyebrows shot up and his mouth made a big open 'o'. The other three turned to look at him and now Noya was on the spot, uncertain of what to do. Before he could think about it, Kinoshita smiled easily, the most natural smile he'd seen on him, which really wasn't anything to go by considering he had known the guy for 6 hours tops, and motioned for Noya to come over.

Noya relaxed his stance and rolled back his shoulders, smiling back and making his way to the group of friends. He was introduced to everyone and introduced himself in kind. Kinoshita and his friends were exchange students from Japan, who had come to Germany to study Gothic architecture, but who also made regular self-study 'field trips' to wherever they could find something of interest. Tanaka was very suggestive in his explanation.

"Although construction began during the 14th century, on the tail end of the Italian late gothic phase and wasn't finished until just last century, the Duomo di Milano is still undoubtedly a staple of Italian Gothic architecture and failing to visit it when given the opportunity would be a disgrace," calmly explained the guy named Ennoshita as they were making their way out of the hotel.

"Yeah, right." Tanaka nudged Noya. "An Austrian colleague told us the nightlife was good, but no bar could match a student house's ragers." Ennoshita shot him a disapproving look that did nothing to make him regret his choices.

Noya couldn't contain his laughter and looked back towards Kinoshita, who refused to meet his eyes. "So that's where you lost them and missed the bus?" Kinoshita pouted, still avoiding his gaze, but Noya couldn't help but feel endeared. Noya had made a good call closing the shades. It would've been tragic if Kinoshita's hangover was worsened by the unforgiving sun.

"We did come to study," Kinoshita said, defensive. "Besides, I left soon after them. I didn't lie when I said I got lost." Noya cut him some slack and didn't continue teasing. He remained quiet, being swept over by the group's conversation, occasionally offering commentary, but otherwise not being the center of the conversation.

"So..." Tanaka, who was the least reserved of the group, swung his arm around Noya's shoulders, "that's our story. What's yours? You’ve got even more luggage than we do on your shoulders, so do share! What's your deal?"

Noya himself wasn't a reserved guy, so he talked about his travels with the same enthusiasm as if he were talking to his life-long friends. It was easy for Noya to warm up to new people, even easier when they reminded him so much of home.

"I've never really had a destination in mind. I just had the hunger and the motive, so I went for it. It was tough at first. Back home, everyone expected me to go pro with volleyball." Those were the bitter parts of the otherwise good memories. He didn't often dwell on them, but now that he had the chance to let them out, his shoulders felt slightly lighter. "I'm also not one for traditions, but I have to thank the ye olde myth that finding your soulmate should be your goal in life. Every time someone tried to nag me out of my trip, I just whipped out my arm and that would be enough to keep them off my case."

Tanaka's eyes opened as wide as plates. "Soulmates?!" he screeched.

"Oh no-" The quiet one named Narita started, but Tanaka began vibrating at a frequency that could shatter glass.

"Excuse him," Ennoshita raised his voice. "He left his soulmate back in Japan, so whenever anyone mentions theirs, he tries to vicariously live through others to cope."

"She's amazing!" Tanaka cried out. "I love her so much. The first thing I'm going to do when I go back is marry her. These guys don't get it, you know? They always talk shit whenever I get something for her, but I can't help but think about her and about how much I miss her wherever we go," he lamented bitterly.

"Say that when you have to pay for an extra suitcase when we go back," Kinoshita remarked.

"Don't you always say they're little gestures? It looks more like you're getting her dowry," Narita added in an innocent tone.

Tanaka ignored their claims completely and looked back at Noya. "See? They're blind, but you get me, man. You traveled so far just to find your loved one. I can totally understand." He wasn't sure if the tear was faked to add to the dramatic effect or if he was being serious.

Still, Noya couldn't find himself feeling bothered at all. "I wish my heart was as pure as that. I have to admit my soulmark was more of an excuse than a reason for coming here. I always dreamed of reaching new heights, going as far as my legs could take me, and my mark was undeniable proof that I would reach them, at least in some capacity." Noya never thought about it like this. He was fond of his mark and was beginning to find himself sharing that sentiment with the actual person, but until now, he really hadn't weighed the impact it had made on his life. "But I can't deny that soulmates are the real deal. After all, it figures that thanks to my destined person, I'm able to pursue my dreams."

"And now that you're here, they're your new dream." Tanaka legit looked at the edge of tears.

Ennoshita gave an exasperated sigh. "He didn't say that."

"Don't bother. You know that whenever he starts quoting Disney princess movies, he's already too far gone," Kinoshita added, amused by his friend's antics.

"But, do you want to find them?" Narita asked in his calming voice.

"I really didn't think much about it at first." And that was the truth, but now that he had met Kinoshita, he would never regret it. "But now I'm glad that I did."

Silence fell for a second before Tanaka shouted at the top of his lungs. "Man! You should've started there! You found your soulmate? What we’ve been talking about doesn’t matter! Spill it!"

"Tanaka..." They all sighed, to various degrees of emotion. "Don't harass him," said Narita, more bummed than before.

"Yeah, well, you all shut up." He leaned in on Noya as if he was going to tell a secret, but it failed since he didn't lower his volume at all. "They're just jealous. They have basic ass soulmarks. _'Thank you'_ and _'wait, what'_. Hisashi, yours is in English. At least try a little harder." He turned to accuse Kinoshita, but soon enough was facing Noya again. "Narita is the worst of them all. He basically got his love story spelled out."

" _'I wouldn't have imagined I'd find you here in Paris'_ isn't much of a story." Narita shrugged to Tanaka's dismay

"It's in Japanese! And the response means that they know it's you! What else do you need to find them?" Tanaka was really into it and Noya felt bad seeing him being the odd one out, so he joined him in his pain.

"It's definitely a waste. If you have the chance, then you should definitely seize it! Not everyone can pride themselves on having such a unique phrase that you can't miss!" Tanaka nodded aggressively at Noya's wisdom.

"Is it any good to have a unique phrase? Tanaka's girlfriend will sport _'melonpan and katsu sandwich'_ on her collarbone for the rest of her life. She thought it was because she'd be working in the food industry and wouldn't find her soulmate for another 10 years. Turns out, Tanaka is just such an unimaginative moron that he couldn't think of a catchphrase better than his regular cafeteria order. He went and used it to introduce himself to every cute girl that caught his eye, and it somehow worked," Narita retorted.

Tanaka looked starry-eyed at that memory. "I can remember that day as if it was yesterday." He threw his backpack over one shoulder and reached to pull off his shirt just as Ennoshita shouted, “No stripping in public.” He ignored him and lifted his shirt halfway, so Noya could see a delicate, _'Are you for real?'_ printed on his back. "I always thought she'd found me so charming that she doubted I wasn't a dream." He chuckled as he put his clothes back on properly again. "Turns out she said it in the most unamused, deadpanned way possible, and it was better than whatever I could’ve imagined." He continued to be on cloud nine until the memory ended and returned his attention to Noya. "But do tell. What's your soulmark?"

Noya, being the friendly and unassuming fool he'd always been, was used to showing it off. It was amusing and endearing for him, and it always let him pride himself on how wise or dirty his soulmate's words were, depending on who you asked. It was a chilly morning, so he had put on a light jacket over a tank top, so he didn't think twice before rolling up his sleeve and showing it to Tanaka.

Tanaka snorted as he read it. "Certainly unique. No wonder you came here." He looked back to the other three trailing behind. "It sounds like something Kinoshita would say. Maybe you can introduce them and they can also join the group. They would fit right in."

Ennoshita was quick to join Noya's other side, curious. A lot of thoughts invaded Noya's head, from _wait, I'm already part of the group_ to _oh shit right, Kinoshita_ and everything in between.

Ennoshita sneaked up on him with a, "Do you mind?" Noya was too busy sorting out his brain to think before reaching his arm out towards the other prying eyes." _'Tell him €90 is unreasonable for what isn't even one night'_." Ennoshita read out loud. "It does sound like something Kinoshita would say."

A sharp intake of air. "It sounds like something I have said."

That stopped every other one of Noya's thoughts as well as his motor functions. He halted suddenly and Tanaka, who had trailed one step behind, crashed against his side, the collision sending the both of them tumbling, and the weight on Noya's back making him stumble into Ennoshita. He managed to regain enough balance to push the other two so that he wouldn't drag them down, but eventually, he fell, ass on the sidewalk, and then rolled so his face hit the ground, the backpack crushing the air out of him.

Everyone stood still, unsure of what just happened, but also too aware. Noya wanted to believe that the silence would help him come up with something, anything, but in reality, he couldn't bring himself to muster one single thought. It was as if his brain was only white noise now. He rested his forehead on the concrete, defeated. He was strong, but the backpack and dread were too heavy to ignore. He'd rather wait for whatever was to come and deal with that.

It took an unspecified amount of time in silence and steps rushing to get to him for Noya to look up. Kinoshita knelt in front of him, staring back with a slight frown. He looked at him as though he was truly seeing Noya for the first time.

"I do recall now. I was tired and mad, and yes, I admit, somewhat drunk. But I remember I asked your opinion on the price and I got more annoyed because you looked confused as if none of my words were making any sense to you." His eyes drifted to the side, where Noya's arm had cushioned the fall, where his mark was in full view. "I still think that price was ridiculous." He finally looked Noya in the eye and stretched out a hand to help him up. "But I guess it was a fair price if that was what it cost to meet you."

It took some moments before any rational thought formed in Noya's mind, but when they finally did, he took the hand and helped himself up. "And you got half off. You got a good deal out of it. I didn't know they had a discount for fated encounters."

Kinoshita laughed openly, more than the bad joke deserved, but he didn't seem to notice or mind. "And I got a chewy apple pie as a treat. What else could I have asked for?" Noya was now standing. Kinoshita was taller than him, but that didn't matter. Noya felt as if they were meeting each other eye to eye for the first time.

Noya couldn't help the cold feeling on his nape from crawling down to his gut when he finally remembered the intrusive thoughts of the morning. "I'm sorry. You-" He wasn't sure what he wanted to say, but he tried for Kinoshita's sake, to try to atone for an accident he didn't know the weight of. "You've been such a positive influence in my life. Your words gave me direction and a purpose, and I only left you with some vague confusion."

Kinoshita's eyes widened a bit, but he didn't look alarmed, only surprised. "Don't. I-..." Kinoshita breathed deeply before continuing, perhaps being in the same dilemma as Noya.

"I'm sorry. It might take some time for me to open up completely. Let's just say, I've been told what to do basically my whole life. Having your vague generic words were somewhat infuriating at times." The words by themselves could be taken as an accusation, but the warm tone in which they were spoken rid themselves of any such notions. "I felt like it was my call, you know? That I was free to ignore it, and also, that maybe I would miss the words and be none the wiser." He sighed. “I technically did miss them,” he added under his breath. "I came to terms with that a long time ago and appreciated that freedom more than if it had been a clear sign." The implication was clear.

Noya smiled, bittersweet. "I'm sorry I took that choice from you in the end.

Kinoshita shook his head. "If anything, it was Tanaka for being such a nag." A loud “Hey!” was heard, but they both ignored it. "But no, you didn't." Kinoshita looked reserved, but his eyes held the light of hope that one day they could unravel all their secrets to him. "It might be soon, but I'm glad it was you." They were still holding hands and Kinoshita gave it a tentative tug.

"Yeah, I'm also glad it was you." Noya squeezed back and knew that he would not have to wander any longer for he finally had a destination.


End file.
